Pod Bless Canada
107 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 months ago - ★★★ - 2 ratingsMacdonald-Laurier Institute's premier public policy podcast.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Pod Bless Canada Ep. 80 - Competition Policy with Aaron Wudrick and Jack Mintz
June 20, 2023 15:45 - 15 minutes - 21.8 MBThis episode features Macdonald-Laurier Institute distinguished fellow Jack Mintz in conversation with Aaron Wudrick, domestic policy director on the possibility of changes to Canada's competition law. Proposed changes to Canada's competition law might not make headlines but it will absolutely effect Canadian consumers. Despite what some policy makers seem to think, competition law isn't a 'swiss army knife' capable of solving various social and economic issues for government. Ins...
Pod Bless Canada Ep. 79 - 'Internet Regulation' in Bill C-11 and C-18, Aaron Wudrick and Peter Menzies
April 19, 2023 20:52 - 26 minutes - 35.9 MBThis episode of Pod Bless Canada features Domestic Policy director Aaron Wudrick in conversation with Macdonald-Laurier Institute senior fellow Peter Menzies to discuss Bill C-11 and Bill C-18, both of which are before Canada's parliament. They discuss the legislations' misguided attempts to protect Canadian content and how the bills pose a real threat to Canadian content creators who make their living online.
Talkin’ in the Free World Ep. 9 – Azar Nafisi on Freedom vs. Totalitarian Instincts
July 21, 2022 00:00 - 44 minutes - 102 MBAzar Nafisi, who is the critically acclaimed author of Reading Lolita in Tehran, a New York Times bestseller that is published in thirty-two languages. Nafisi reflects on the effect of education, ideology, and the corporate mentality on the preservation of democracy, focusing particularly on political divides in the US. Mariam and Azar dive into the philosophical underpinnings of freedom, democracy preservation in the US, and the fight for democracy in Iran. Nafisi is also known for her othe...
Pod Bless Canada EP. 78 - From Impossible War to Improbable Peace with Devlen and Muzergues
July 07, 2022 00:00 - 42 minutes - 97.4 MBWas Russia’s most recent invasion of Ukraine an aberration, or a predictable phenomenon? Balkan Devlen sits down with author Thibault Muzergues to discuss his recently published book “War in Europe? From Impossible War to Improbable Peace” and how Russia’s attacks are changing European attitudes regarding continental security. They also discuss why some observers failed to identify the war as it loomed on the horizon, where the next wars could erupt, what must be done to prepare fo...
Talkin’ in the Free World: Olga Tokariuk with Updates on the War in Ukraine
June 07, 2022 17:59 - 30 minutes - 70.6 MBIndependent Ukrainian journalist Olga Tokariuk joins us today to discuss her wartime journalism, stories coming from the frontline, the greater meaning of Ukraine’s fight for freedom and democracy, and to debunk Russia’s narratives about Ukraine. Olga Tokariuk is a Non-resident Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and an independent journalist and researcher based in Ukraine. Olga has vast experience working with Ukrainian and international media, such as EFE news agency,...
Talkin’ in the Free World: Nury Turkel on the Uyghur Genocide
May 18, 2022 00:00 - 49 minutes - 112 MBNury Turkel, author of No Escape: The True Story of China’s Genocide of the Uyghurs, speaks to us today about China’s use of technology in the Uyghur genocide and the threat of such technologies to global democracy and freedom. Turkel highlights what the international community needs to do to support the Uyghur people and hold authoritarians to account. Turkel is a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute and is Vice Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. He is the fir...
Talkin' in the Free World with Mariam Memarsadeghi and Danielle Pletka
April 22, 2022 00:00 - 29 minutes - 67.4 MBThis program was originally recorded as Democracy Matters on April 22, 2022. Conservative commentator and American Enterprise Institute Distinguished Senior Fellow Danielle Pletka on how foriegn policy from free nations must be reshaped to defeat forces aligned against global security and liberty.
Talkin' in the Free World EP. 6 – Danielle Pletka on Pro-Democracy Foreign Policy
April 21, 2022 00:00 - 29 minutes - 67.4 MBThis program was originally recorded as Democracy Matters on April 22, 2022. Danielle Pletka joins us today to discuss how the US can institute a Pro-Democracy foreign policy, which she argues has been lacking. Danielle Pletka is a distinguished senior fellow in foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where she focuses on US foreign policy generally and the Middle East specifically. Until January 2020, Ms. Pletka was the senior vice president of foreign...
Talkin' in the Free World with Mariam Memarsadeghi and Jamie Kirchick
March 24, 2022 00:00 - 47 minutes - 109 MBThis program was originally recorded as Democracy Matters on March 25, 2022. "The End of Europe" author Jamie Kirchick on rising threats to freedom in democracies.
Talkin' in the Free World EP. 5 – Jamie Kirchik on the Risk of a Dark Age for Democracy
March 23, 2022 00:00 - 47 minutes - 109 MBThis program was originally recorded as Democracy Matters on March 25, 2022. "The End of Europe" author Jamie Kirchick on rising threats to freedom in democracies.
Pod Bless Canada EP. 77 - "In Defence of Wealth" with Aaron Wudrick and Derek Bullen
March 10, 2022 00:00 - 32 minutes - 73.4 MBInequality makes it easy for many politicians and activists to cast the wealthy as villains who make our society worse. But is this the right way to think about wealth and inequality? MLI Domestic Program Director Aaron Wudrick is joined by Derek Bullen is Founder and CEO of S.i. Systems and the author of the new book "In Defence of Wealth." Bullen and Wudrick discuss the book and how many critics are overlooking crucial considerations: we need business people to build companies and ...
Pod Bless Canada EP. 76 - Putin's War of Aggression Against Ukraine with Devlen and Shelest
March 03, 2022 00:00 - 28 minutes - 64.5 MBAfter months of military build up and threats, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a war of aggression against Ukraine. MLI Senior Fellow Balkan Devlen is joined by Hanna Shelest, the Director of Security Programmes at Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” and Editor-in-Chief at UA: Ukraine Analytica, to discuss the situation on the ground in Ukraine. Devlen and Shelest analyze what the world might expect in the future from Russia and what Canada and our allies can do to sup...
Pod Bless Canada EP. 75 - The worrying standard applied to the truckers with Wudrick & Parker
February 28, 2022 00:00 - 32 minutes - 74 MBThe Freedom Convoy received quick and heavy condemnation and backlash from Canadian politicians and media when it arrived in Ottawa earlier this year. Though criticism was certainly merited, did the vitriol of the response go too far? In the latest episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Domestic Policy Program Director Aaron Wudrick was joined by Stuart Parker, the President of the Los Altos Institute, to discuss Parker's article in the Hub titled, "Why the coverage of the trucker protest ...
Talkin' in the Free World with Mariam Memarsadeghi and Eli Lake
February 23, 2022 00:00 - 41 minutes - 94.8 MBThis program was originally recorded as Democracy Matters on February 24, 2022. Tactics for countering Russia and other authoritarian regimes from journalist Eli Lake.
Talkin' in the Free World EP. 4 – Eli Lake on Tactics for Countering Russia
February 22, 2022 00:00 - 41 minutes - 94.8 MBThis program was originally recorded as Democracy Matters on February 24, 2022. Eli Lake joins Mariam Memarsadeghi to discuss how the West can stand up to Russian aggression and stand up for its core values on the international stage. Eli Lake is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering national security and foreign policy. He was the senior national security correspondent for the Daily Beast and covered national security and intelligence for the Washington Times, the New York Sun and UPI. Lak...
Pod Bless Canada Ep. 74 - Global Energy Security with Wudrick, Exner-Pirot & Kucharski
February 16, 2022 18:47 - 23 minutes - 53.8 MBThe world needs a reliable and affordable supply of energy not just for economic prosperity, but for national security as well. As both geopolitical tensions and energy prices rise globally, Canada has failed to become a global energy leader. MLI Domestic Policy Program Director Aaron Wudrick is joined by MLI Senior Policy Analyst Heather Exner-Pirot and MLI Senior Fellow Jeff Kucharski to discuss how Canada can seize a leadership role when it comes to the geopolitics of energy.
Talkin' in the Free World with Mariam Memarsadeghi and Bill Browder
February 07, 2022 00:00 - 30 minutes - 69.5 MBThis program was originally recorded as Democracy Matters on February 8, 2022. Magnitsky Act champion Bill Browder on how Vladimir Putin must be confronted.
Talkin’ in the Free World EP. 3 – Bill Browder on Holding Oligarchs to Account
February 06, 2022 00:00 - 30 minutes - 69.5 MBThis program was originally recorded as Democracy Matters on February 8, 2022. Mariam Memarsadeghi interviews Bill Browder, author of Red Notice, investor, and anti-corruption activist, to discuss the role of sanctions in influencing oligarchs. Mr. Browder was the largest foreign investor in Russia until 2005, when he was denied entry to the country and declared “a threat to national security” for exposing corruption in Russian state-owned companies. In 2008, Mr. Browder’s lawyer, Sergei M...
Across the Pond Ep. 8: What to do about Russian provocations against Ukraine
December 28, 2021 20:59 - 30 minutes - 68.9 MBTensions are again rising in Eastern Europe. Russia has positioned troops on its border with Ukraine and, if the military buildup and rhetoric out of Moscow are to be believed, appears poised to once again invade. In this final episode of Across the Pond, MLI Senior Fellows Balkan Devlen and Marcus Kolga discuss the ongoing situation, what Putin’s endgame is regarding Ukraine, how NATO generally and Canada specifically ought to respond to these Kremlin provocations, and more.
Across the Pond Ep. 7: NATO’s New Strategic Concept and Why It Matters
December 23, 2021 01:11 - 31 minutes - 72.6 MBAs threats emerge from Russia, China, and other authoritarian actors, are Western democracies prepared to rise to the challenge? With NATO set to update its framework for defining security challenges facing the Alliance and the political and military tasks which must be undertaken to address these challenges, this question is both timely and critical. MLI Senior Fellows Balkan Devlen and Alexander Moens (who also serves as the Chair of the Political Science Department at Simon Fraser Univer...
Across the Pond Ep. 6: Why Arctic Security Matters to Canada
December 18, 2021 01:17 - 50 minutes - 117 MBCanada's security is often taken for granted due to our shared border with the United States. But one area of emerging risk is the Arctic. For this two-part episode, MLI Senior Fellow Balkan Devlen spoke with Brigadier-General Pascal Godbout, Commander, Joint Task Force (North) regarding JTF North's role and mission, how the force engages with local and Indigenous communities, the whole of government approach to Arctic security, and more. Devlen also spoke with Vice-Admiral (Ret'd)Mark Norman...
EP. 74: We Don't Need Changes to Competition Policy to Handle Big Tech w/ Wudrick, Niblett & Sokol
December 10, 2021 19:06 - 16 minutes - 37.1 MBThe explosive growth of e-commerce during the pandemic has had tremendous benefits for consumers, but it has also raised concerns about the growing size of major industry players such as Amazon, Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook. Europe and the US have moved to impose antitrust measures and sweeping new competition policies against the titans of tech, and there are calls in Canada to do the same. MLI Domestic Policy Program Director Aaron Wudrick sat down with Anthony Niblett and Daniel ...
Across The Pond Ep. 5: Understanding NATO's role in the Indo-Pacific
December 07, 2021 21:47 - 32 minutes - 73.7 MBThough the focus of the NATO alliance has principally been on the European theatre, increasingly the alliance and its members have taken an interest in the Indo-Pacific region. But for an alliance that is centred in the Atlantic, what role is there in the Indo-Pacific? How can member states meaningfully contribute to the rules-based international order in the region, address emerging threats and challenges, and still remain vigilant regarding to issues closer to home? To make sense of what ...
Ep. 73 - A Narrow Victory for Freedom of Speech with Aaron Wudrick and Leonid Sirota
December 03, 2021 23:02 - 30 minutes - 69.7 MBThe Supreme Court of Canada’s judgment in Ward v Quebec represents a victory for free speech in Canada... but it was a disturbingly narrow victory. MLI Domestic Policy Program Director Aaron Wudrick spoke with Leonid Sirota, a renowned scholar of public law, about what the Ward case, and other challenges to freedom of expression, mean for Canada's democracy.
Across the Pond Ep. 4: The Anatomy of NATO Operations
November 22, 2021 13:43 - 40 minutes - 92.2 MBThe smooth operation of the NATO alliance is vital to the collective security of the transatlantic, including countries like Canada. So what goes into ensuring that missions are planned, organized and executed successfully? And how can readiness and security be maintained across domains in the context of a global pandemic? MLI Senior Fellow Balkan Devlen spoke with Burcu San, the Director of Operations in NATO’s Operations Division, as well as Commodore Bradley Peats of the Royal Canadian Na...
L’autre côté de l’étang, épisode 3 : L’avenir des technologies émergentes et de l’OTAN
November 16, 2021 15:59 - 36 minutes - 84.3 MBEn février 2021, l’OTAN a présenté une stratégie pour les technologies émergentes, ce qui témoigne de l'importance grandissante de ces technologies pour l’avenir de la sécurité collective et pour l’OTAN. Dans le troisième épisode de la série « Across the Pond », Christian Leuprecht, chercheur associé à l’Institut Macdonald-Laurier, s’entretient avec Moritz Zimmerman, de l’OTAN, au sujet du développement de l’intelligence artificielle et de la technologie automatisée ainsi que de leurs répercu...
Across the Pond Ep. 2: The Past, Present, and Future of Canada in NATO
November 03, 2021 14:36 - 32 minutes - 74.5 MBDespite it being Canada’s most important security commitment, many Canadians know little about Canada’s history and role in NATO. MLI Senior Fellow Balkan Devlen spoke with Joel Sokolsky and Joseph Jockel about their new book, “Canada in NATO, 1949-2019,” to better understand how Canada’s involvement and engagement with the alliance has shaped our defence and foreign policy while also serving vital roles toward our security and diplomatic interests.
Talkin' in the Free World with Mariam Memarsadeghi and Kaveh Shahrooz
November 01, 2021 00:00 - 37 minutes - 85.5 MBThis program was originally recorded as Democracy Matters on November 1, 2021. Macdonald-Laurier Institute Senior Fellow Kaveh Shahrooz on how a prison massacre was formative to his worldview and his career in pursuit of human rights, about the nefarious influence of Iran's regime in the free world, the downing of flight PS752, Oberlin College's employment of a former Iran regime official responsible for covering up rights abuses, and more.
Talkin' in the Free World EP. 2 – Kaveh Shahrooz on the Nefarious Influence of Iran’s Regime
October 31, 2021 00:00 - 37 minutes - 85.5 MBThis program was originally recorded as Democracy Matters on November 1, 2021. Macdonald-Laurier Institute Senior Fellow Kaveh Shahrooz on how a prison massacre was formative to his worldview and his career in pursuit of human rights, about the nefarious influence of Iran's regime in the free world, the downing of flight PS752, Oberlin College's employment of a former Iran regime official responsible for covering up rights abuses, and more.
Talkin' in the Free World with Mariam Memarsadeghi and Alireza Nader
October 27, 2021 00:00 - 33 minutes - 77.3 MBThis program was originally recorded as Democracy Matters on October 28, 2021. Iran expert Alireza Nader on what democracies must do to hold the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps accountable for its global terror and crimes against humanity.
Talkin' in the Free World EP. 1 – Alireza Nader on Holding Iran Accountable for Human Rights Abuses
October 26, 2021 00:00 - 33 minutes - 77.3 MBThis program was originally recorded as Democracy Matters on October 28, 2021. Iran expert Alireza Nader joins Mariam Memarsadeghi to discuss what democracies must do to hold the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps accountable for its global terror and crimes against humanity. Mr. Nader was an International Policy Analyst at the Rand Corporation and author of a number of reports for the Rand Corporation on Iran. He subsequently worked as an advisor to the Anti-Defamation League. He currently s...
Across the Pond Ep. 1: A new podcast series by MLI’s Transatlantic Program
September 29, 2021 22:10 - 27 minutes - 24.7 MBCanada is the quintessential transatlantic nation; our security and prosperity are intimately tied to the security and prosperity of both sides of the Atlantic. Our interests and values are deeply linked with and shared by our NATO allies; Canadians have spent considerable blood and treasure in defence of European democracy, and Canadians continue to stand on guard in Europe to this day. To better understand these issues, the Macdonald-Laurier Institute has produced "Across the Pond" - an 8-...
Ep. 72 – Understanding Vaccine Passports with Aaron Wudrick, Dr Martha Fulford, and Dr Shawn Whatley
September 15, 2021 19:23 - 42 minutes - 96.8 MBThe concept of vaccine passports, which would entail providing proof of COVID-19 vaccination to gain access to normally accessible venues and services, has ignited a fierce debate in Canada. What are the benefits and trade offs associated with the policy? Would it successfully encourage vaccine uptake among those hesitant to get their jabs? What unforeseen consequences might spring up from such a policy? To make sense of the utility of and challenges associated with vaccine passport...
Ep. 71 - Fighting Back Against Global Hostage-Taking with Sarah Teich and Ai-Men Lau
September 03, 2021 18:02 - 15 minutes - 36.4 MBSeptember 4th, 2021 marks a grim anniversary for Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor; it is their 1000th day of arbitrary detention at the hands Chinese authorities, as part of the regime's retaliation for the lawful arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou. Canada's lack of action in response to Beijing's hostage-taking has signaled to the international community that this belligerent behaviour can occur with impunity. Furthermore, victims and their families are often left in limbo without a...
Ep. 70 - The Deterioration of Parliament with Jonathan Malloy and Aaron Wudrick
August 23, 2021 16:59 - 23 minutes - 53.7 MBIn many ways, the COVID-19 pandemic has served as a test of resilience for Canada's Parliamentary system. One illustrative example would be the case of the firing of two scientists from the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg. In order to prevent the release of documents related to these firings, the federal government took the extraordinary step of applying to the Federal Court of Canada in June, potentially allowing the judiciary to interfere in the functioning of Parliame...
Ep. 69 - Combatting Foreign Intimidation Against Canadians with Kolga, Lin, and Shahrooz
August 11, 2021 21:33 - 31 minutes - 72 MBForeign regimes, particularly China, Russia, and Iran, are engaged in efforts to threaten and intimidate critics and activists around the world, including in Canada. However, despite this clear threat posed by foreign actors against Canadians, the federal government has failed to meaningfully act to address this coercion. To discuss this issue and what the federal government should be doing to stop foreign intimidation against Canadians, MLI's Marcus Kolga, Anastasia Lin, and Kaveh...
Ep. 68 - Happy Canada Day with Aaron Wudrick, Ken Coates, and Christopher Dummitt
July 01, 2021 04:00 - 17 minutes - 40.7 MBHappy Canada Day! While this greeting might seem like standard fare on July 1st, there are growing calls by a vocal minority to stop celebrating Canada Day (and indeed, Canada more generally). In this latest episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Domestic Policy Program Director Aaron Wudrick spoke with Professors Ken Coates and Christopher Dummitt to make sense of this push and argue why Canada, despite its faults, is well worth celebrating.
Ep. 67 Managing COVID isn't "economy vs. health, it's health vs. health": Dr. Whatley & Dr. Fulford
May 28, 2021 13:47 - 40 minutes - 92.6 MBIn the latest episode of MLI's Pod Bless Canada, MLI Senior Fellow Dr. Shawn Whatley speaks with Dr. Martha Fulford, associate professor of infectious diseases at McMaster University, about how Canadian policy makers have handled the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Fulford describes a mindset that has taken hold and has not evolved since the early days of the pandemic, when the country was understandably locked down in the face of an unknown threat. "There are still some people who seem to ...
Ep. 66 - Why a Canadian Presence in Eastern Europe Matters with Balkan Devlen & Christian Leuprecht
May 26, 2021 15:48 - 32 minutes - 74.9 MBIn the latest episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Senior Fellows Balkan Devlen and Christian Leuprecht discuss Canada's presence in Eastern Europe and Canadian contributions to NATO missions in the region. Devlen and Leuprecht go on to discuss why a Canadian presence in Eastern Europe matters, and what can we learn from missions like the Enhanced Forward Presence going forward. They also discuss how these missions not only contribute to Canada's security, but to our allies' security as...
Ep. 65 - The Importance of the Oil Sands with Philip Cross and Aaron Wudrick
May 19, 2021 15:22 - 11 minutes - 25.7 MBAs blue-collar work is being devastated, Canada’s natural resource sector continues to be a pillar of stability and opportunity in the economy. On the latest episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Domestic Policy Program Director Aaron Wudrick and MLI Munk Senior Fellow Philip Cross discuss Cross' latest paper titled “A national project: How oil sands investment and production benefit Canada's economy.” Cross and Wudrick examine the sector in terms of production and investment and how, d...
Ep. 64 - UNDRIP Bill fails to address Indigenous Issues: Chris Sankey, Melissa Mbarki & Ken Coates
May 11, 2021 18:58 - 25 minutes - 58.4 MBThe United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) has many valuable and vital elements. It outlines a range of rights and standards to provide measures of social, economic and cultural justice to Indigenous peoples. However, the federal government's proposed legislation to implement UNDRIP is unacceptably vague, noncommittal, and perhaps counterproductive. In the latest episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Munk Senior Fellow Ken Coates is joined by MLI Senior F...
Ep. 63 - Where Hong Kong Stands Now with Sharon Hom, Alvin Y.H. Cheung, and Ai-Men Lau
April 14, 2021 16:24 - 38 minutes - 88 MBBeijing's sweeping overhaul of Hong Kong's electoral system has further crushed democractic hopes in Hong Kong. The new measures, which by passed Hong Kong's legislature, aims to ensure the majority of the city's lawmakers will be selected by a reliably pro-Beijing committee. The Hong Kong government has also announced more electoral system changes favouring pro-Beijing candidates by amending voting laws and criminalizing calls for voters to leave ballots blank. Sharon Hom, Executi...
EP. 62 - DisinfoWatch with Marcus Kolga and Ai-Men Lau
April 07, 2021 19:05 - 27 minutes - 62.2 MBLaunched in 2020, DisinfoWatch is the Macdonald-Laurier Institute’s new COVID-19 and foreign disinformation monitoring and debunking platform. During the COVID pandemic, it has become increasingly evident that western democratic societies are more exposed to malign foreign and domestic actors seeking to confuse and polarize our societies through conspiracy theories, blatant fabrications and propaganda. Now more than ever is it important to expose and raise awareness of mis/disinforma...
Indigenous Prosperity at a Crossroads: An MLI Conversation with Boomer Desjarlais
March 12, 2021 18:49 - 13 minutes - 19.1 MBThis podcast is part seven of MLI’s ongoing series, titled "Indigenous Prosperity at a Crossroads," which features interviews with Indigenous community and business leaders who are on the forefront of economic reconciliation, particularly with respect to Indigenous rights and interests in the natural resource economy. This series goes beyond the headlines and partisan politics to delve deeper into how Indigenous peoples are shaping the economic futures of their own communities. This...
Indigenous Prosperity at a Crossroads: An MLI Conversation with Esther Peterson
March 12, 2021 13:21 - 12 minutes - 17.6 MBThis podcast is part six of MLI’s ongoing series, titled "Indigenous Prosperity at a Crossroads," which features interviews with Indigenous community and business leaders who are on the forefront of economic reconciliation, particularly with respect to Indigenous rights and interests in the natural resource economy. This series goes beyond the headlines and partisan politics to delve deeper into how Indigenous peoples are shaping the economic futures of their own communities. This e...
Ep. 61 - The COVID Misery Index with Rick Audas and Ai-Men Lau
March 11, 2021 15:07 - 19 minutes - 45.4 MBA year has passed since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Canada with full force, and the results are in on how severely the impact of the virus has been felt in this country compared to similar advanced economies. But how does Canada compare to the rest of the world? The Macdonald-Laurier Institute launched the COVID Misery Index this week and is based on data analysis conducted by Richard Audas, the lead methodologist on the Misery Index. To discuss this, Audas joined communications offi...
Ep. 60 – Understanding Russia’s anti-democracy crackdown with Marcus Kolga and Vladimir Ashurkov
February 18, 2021 19:59 - 18 minutes - 43.4 MBThe world has followed closely the attempted assassination via poisoning, recent arrest, and now conviction of Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny. With thousands of Russian citizens having taken to the streets to protest the corrupt and authoritarian rule of President Vladimir Putin, many have asked whether countries like Canada will do anything in response to Russia’s brazen attempts to target, kill, or otherwise stifle the voices of Russian pro-democracy figures. To...
Ep. 59 – Indo-Pacific Trade & Economy: Viewpoint from Japan with Jonathan Miller & Tomoaki Ishigaki
February 12, 2021 18:11 - 22 minutes - 30.6 MBSpanning from the West coast of the Americas to the East shores of Africa, the Indo-Pacific region contains four of the world’s five largest economies and accounts for over half of global GDP. Of those economies, few are as large and share as many values as Japan. Japan and Canada continue to share many interests in the region, and both leaders recently reiterated their shared vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. To better understand the leadership role that Japan plays in the r...
Ep. 58 - Canada and the Indo-Pacific with Jonathan Berkshire Miller and Brett Byers
January 29, 2021 20:00 - 24 minutes - 34.1 MBIn an effort to improve Canada’s approach to the Indo-Pacific region, the Macdonald-Laurier Institute has launched a dedicated “Canada and the Indo-Pacific Initiative.” To discuss this important new project, MLI Communications Manager Brett Byers was joined by Senior Fellow and Director of MLI’s Indo-Pacific Program, Jonathan Berkshire Miller. Miller and Byers examine the challenges and opportunities in the region - ranging from security, to trade, to multilateral cooperation, and m...
Ep. 57 - The Future of Brexit with Blair Gibbs and Shuvaloy Majumdar
January 19, 2021 15:35 - 34 minutes - 31.7 MBIn the latest episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Senior Fellow and Foreign Policy Program Director Shuvaloy Majumdar is joined by Blair Gibbs, former advisor to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, to discuss the future of Brexit.